Event: DKC Knit Frolic in Toronto Ontario Cda

Whata busy day Saturday! My friend Bonnie and I set out for Toronto, (about 45mins east) it was a lovely bright sunny day. 

First up went to the DKC Toronto Knitters Frolic with Bonnie Bedford-Jones who did a stellar job of getting us there even though the DVP was closed and traffic was heavy. Bumped into bunches of knit night friends and enjoyed all the enthusiastic fibre fiends, and the lovely knitted items they were sporting. Knitters are the friendliest bunch of people.

Fibreholics congregated at this incredible annual event!

This line looks long, and it was however this event is so well organized that we were in in no time!

We arrived nice and early as I was booked for a family occasion in the afternoon. Yes the line up was long but full of happy and enthusiastic knitters, festooned in beautiful hand knitted items. 

First stop The Purple Purl!

Always busy!

Found this lovely ball of Debbie Bliss Fine Donegal fingering in red. (What not blue or purple?)

Lovely Merino/cashmere

The off to Dye-Version

I invested heavily here last year, so restrained myself this year. 😉

The off to see the girls at Raventwist

Look at the delicious colours!

And I bought Charcoal gray :0)

I just love Starry fingering, this is Spider woman. I have a plan!

And in my perambulations I kept finding knitters that I know.

Some of the giirls from my Knit night group having too much fun!

and

Other lost souls, high on fibre fumes, also from my Knit Night Group.

And this rather talented friend

Wearing her latest creation

and another friend showing me her precious

I spotted this beauty at the frolic. 

It’s called “Vine Bolero” by Emily Johnson. Made in dk. Sadly either I am too fluffy or this pattern is designed for woman who are less Rubenesque! I am contemplating how much alteration would be required to make one to fit…

I stopped at the Fleece Artists Yarn tasting and received a lusciously soft skeinette of BFL,

The Volunteers were busy winding skeins into balls, to raise money for the Canadian Cancer Society.

Very well organized too. You can go shopping and retrieve your ball, neatly wound for a small donation, very convenient!

These just followed me home! Raventwist- starry fingering “spider woman” Charcoal gray, Debbie bliss “Fine Donegal in Red. a BFL samplette from fleece artist. 2 small project bags. Lucet and tool, stitch markers disguised as a necklace, a needle case, notions case, a knitters abacus, a card weaving shuttle, and 3mm 40” magic loop circs.

The best part is enjoying the knitwear parade, I like how people are willing to tell you where the pattern for the item they are wearing came from and what it’s made of etc. Only knitters would get it.

One lady informed me that a knitters hand shake is petting something hand knitted someone else is wearing! Lol!

I guess a Spinners hand shake is picking chaff off of something hand knitted someone else is wearing!

Bonnie and I had a wonderful time. We headed home and as my fellas had to cross paths with us on the way to my next engagement, we decided to stop for a delicious lunch at a restaurant along the way. The guyz picked me up from there and we headed to Brantford Ontario, another (2 hours west) for Ashleys first Communion. 

Isn’t she pretty, and she was marvelous! Family and friends went out for dinner and a visit afterward.
We were quite a crowd, I love being part of this big happy family!

We had a great time with family and friends. It was almost midnight by the time we finally made it home.

Totally exhausted, but fell asleep with a smile on my puss!

WIP List = 13

1. Untangled #4
2. Without Moonlight #2
3. Yoga Socks – for Sick Kids rehab
4. Be a Little Different Scarf
5. Buttermere #2 – ran out of yarn!
6. EZ’s Baby Surprise Jacket – Fb/Kal almost done!
7. Zuzu’s Petals
8. His/Hers Socks 
9. Cabled Hood with Pockets 
10. Sea of Dreams Blanket
11. Isla lace Pillowcase edge  
12. Rose Harbour Shawl 
13. My Fair Cardi 
14. Simplicity Lace Scarf –  Kal/feb2015 almost done 

FO’s 2015 = 16

Other FO’s (not fibre) = 13 

WIPS 2015 = 14

Long-term Projects = 4

 Stash Used 2015 = 19

Yds of Handspun 2015 = 0

Sewing FO’s 2015 = O

Books 2015 = 5

cya next week :0)

I’m off on to my blogwalk

come join me in the blogpond :0 

I also have a Ravelry shop and an Etsy shop!

for my Literary blog, see Totally Austentatious.

Yarn Crawling fun!

What fun!

My friend Bonnie and I went on the 2nd Annual Durham Ontario Yarn Crawl. Visiting 5 Yarn shops in one afternoon.

My Treasures! 

Yes, I was a little naughty ;0)

Here are the 5 yarn shops we visited.

Soper Creek Yarn (my LYS)
80 King Street West
Bowmanville, Ontario

1 of 4 balls that I think would make nice Winter tights Totally awesome shop!

Wool Queen
182 Simcoe Street S.
Oshawa, Ontario

Cotton summer socks and colourful winter socks. Has changed management since I was there last. I like the selection at this shop.

I also found a chain counter

Wool on William
5 William Street W.
Oshawa, Ontario

This is a new shop, small but interesting. Bought these to make Ducks for the church Bazaar

and

Myrtle Station Wool
9585 Baldwin North
Brooklin, Ontario

This colour way has been dicontinued, I like is so much I picked up 4 – 50gm balls. This use to be my go to LYS, until Soper Creek opened.

Never Enough Wool
26 Water Street
Port Perry, Ontario

Never been to this shop before. Just love the colours of this sock yarn, comes with spool of stablizing thread in middle of ball. I would not make a special trip to this shop, but would stop if I was in the area.

What am I working on?

Shazzas Bucket Hat for my June Kal group

DS surprised me with a yarny Birthday present.

Lovely soft Purple fingering that will become a shawlette, I think…

He knows what Mom likes 🙂

My parents treated me to more Austenatious reading 

The Annotated Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen and The Missing Manuscript of Jane Austen by Syrie James

WIP List = 10

1. Left over Cowl started feb 23/14
2. Cabled Hood with Pockets Started Sept 27/13
3. Foots First Sox My design Started Jul/11
4. Sea of Dreams Blanket 85% done started Mar 9/13
5. Isla lace Pillowcase edge  60% done started June 18/13
6. Rose Harbour Shawl 85% done started Jun 28/13
7. Butterfly’s shawl in blue – started Jan 30/14 Test knit
8. My Fair Cardi Started Apr 8/14
9. Simplicity Lace Scarf  
10. Shazzas Bucket Hat for my June Kal group

FO’s 2014 = 27

WIPS 2014 = 9 + 1 = 10

 Stash Used 2014 = 52

Ravellenic 2014 FO’s =  8

Yds of Handspun 2014 =

Sewing FO’s 2014 = 

Books 2014 = 13

Thanks again cya Friday :0)

I’m off to visit Tami’s, then on to my blogwalk

come join me in the blogpond :0

Ripley’s Aquarium Buy One Get One FREE Admission Offer on until April 30, 2014

So much to see in Toronto, Canada :o)

The Bargain Hunting Momma

Since the Ripley’s Aquarium opened to much fan fare last fall, I have been searching high and low for discounts, coupons, deals of any kind with no success. I assume that they are busy enough and don’t need to offer any discounts as the place is selling out regular basis so perhaps in a year or two, these might start being offered. So be patient my friends… BUT imagine my suprise when I discovered this deal being offered until April 30, 2014.  

If you are plum reward member through Chapters/Indigo you can now take advantage of this offer.. You do need to purchase a special book about the Aquarium to get a Buy One Get one FREE Admission Offer, so I still think it’s worth it.

The book costs $12.24 and the adult admission is $29.95 so you are still saving about $15 off so you can consider the…

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Toronto and Rob Ford, the slow train wreak!

Picture from Toronto Islands across the harbour

Ok, I have to share my embarrassment with the slow motion train wreak that is the Mayor of Toronto. I was born and raised here. This the largest city in Canada, it is a clean, safe and an interesting place to visit. Legally under Municipal, Provincial and Federal law in Canada, a Mayor cannot be removed from office for this kind of behaviour, as much as we might wish it. Obviously this Mayor will cause a review of these policies, we have never had someone so undeserving of the honour of this position. His behaviour has over shadowed any $$$ savings and rationalizing of the cities finances, and the extensions in process to Transit systems.
Currently we are stuck with him for another year :0(